# 6 Gone With The Wind

1939
Director: Victor Fleming
Starring: Clark Gable, Vivien Leigh, Leslie Howard, Olivia de Havilland

Well I got incredibly lucky, and Gone With the Wind happened to be playing in theaters to celebrate the 75th anniversary of its release this year.  It was only playing 2 nights, so I caught the second night with my friend Jillian, who had never seen the movie before.  The day we were supposed to go, I informed her it was a 4hour movie, she had no idea! But away we went.  Seeing it on the big screen was amazing!! My sister was up in New York at a theater seeing it too, and said the theater was packed.  Its my sisters favorite movie, so I knew she wouldn't miss the opportunity to see it in the theater.
This movie is even better than I remember, every scene is captivating.  Vivien Leigh and Clark Gable are sheer perfection.  The movie is simply timeless; it was funny, and sad and moving... If you haven't seen it, see it now!  I'm surprised it isn't in the top 3.

Trivia: When Gary Cooper turned down the role for Rhett Butler, he was passionately against it. He is quoted saying both, "Gone with the Wind (1939) is going to be the biggest flop in Hollywood history," and, "I'm just glad it'll be Clark Gable who's falling on his face and not Gary Cooper."

Up Next: Singin In The Rain

#7 Lawrence of Arabia

1962

Director: David Lean

Starring: Peter O'Toole, Omar Shariff, Alec Guiness, Claude Rains, Anthony Quinn

Peter O'Toole stars as T.E. Lawrence (or "Aurance" as he is called by the Arabs he meets and ultimately befriends and leads.  He is conflicted and brave at times, but always different.  Acting on all fronts is done well.  The whole movie is an adventure.  

Trivia: Peter O'Toole claims he never viewed the completed film until nearly two decades after its original release, by which time he was highly impressed.

Up Next: Gone with the Wind

#8 Schindler's List

1993
Director: Steven Spielberg
Starring: Liam Neeson, Ralph Fiennes, Ben Kingsley

Well, I knew this one was coming. And I hadn't watched it since high school.  Needles to say, it's a tough movie to watch, mostly knowing that it is based on things that really occurred.  Liam Neeson plays Oskar Schindler, a greedy and ambitious business man looking to make as much money as he can by profiting off of the free labor of the Jewish people of Krakaw, Poland after the Nazi's had invaded and forced them to live in ghettos and camps.  Throughout the film, we are shown a glimpse of the absolute horrors that occurred.  Schindler takes notice and slowly starts to do good, and ultimately when it is announced that all the Jews in his factory and town will be sent to Auschwitz (all but guaranteeing their death), Schindler insists that he move his factory and his workers come with him.  He draws a list, and ultimately saves the lives of about 1200 people.  The imagery is amazing, and acting is perfection.  One of Spielberg's best films.  It is powerful and haunting and something every person should see.

Trivia: Steven Spielberg's resolve to make the film became complete when studio executives asked him why he didn't simply make a donation of some sort rather than wasting everyone's time and money on a depressing film.

Up Next: Lawrence of Arabia

#9 Vertigo

1958
Director: Alfred Hitchcock
Starring: Jimmy Stewart, Kim Novak, Barbara Bel Geddes

Classic Hitchcock film which I had never seen before.  As with all Hitchcock film, every shot is perfect and has a purpose.  The story was interesting and dark, as I expected.  Jimmy Stewart's character, Scottie,  is an ex-detective who suffers from vertigo, which was the reason for his early retirement after he witnesses someone fall and couldn't save him because of his fear.  When an old friend asks Scottie to follow his wife because he was afraid something bad would happen to her, he becomes obsessed and in love.  When she falls to her death, he is devastated.  But nothing is quite as it seems...

Trivia: The film was unavailable for decades because its rights (together with four other pictures of the same period) were bought back by Alfred Hitchcock and left as part of his legacy to his daughter. They've been known for long as the infamous "Five Lost Hitchcocks" amongst film buffs, and were re-released in theatres around 1984 after a 30-year absence. The others are The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956), Rear Window(1954), Rope (1948), and The Trouble with Harry (1955).

Up next: Schindler's List

#10 The Wizard of Oz

1939
Director: Victor Fleming, George Cukor

Starring: Judy Garland, Frank Morgan, Ray Bolger, Bert Lahr, Jack Haley, Billie Burke, Margaret Hamilton

Ok, if you've never seen this movie are are over the age of 12, then there's something wrong with you! I haven't seen it in a few years, so it was fun to watch again.  I watched this movie with my best friend and this is her favorite movie ever.  She was saying it's funny how you never forget the lines and the songs after you've seen it so many times.
There were so many interesting stories that instead of writing the synopsis, I'll share some that I found.

- When the wardrobe department was looking for a coat for Frank Morgan (Professor Marvel / The Wizard), they decided they wanted one that looked like it had once been elegant but had since "gone to seed". They visited a second-hand store and purchased an entire rack of coats, from which Morgan, the head of the wardrobe department, and director Victor Fleming chose one they felt gave off the perfect appearance of "shabby gentility". One day, while he was on set in the coat, Morgan idly turned out one of the pockets and discovered a label indicating that the coat had been made for L. Frank Baum. Mary Mayer, a unit publicist for the film, contacted the tailor and Baum's widow, who both verified that the coat had at one time been owned by the author of the original "Wizard of Oz" books. After the filming was completed, the coat was presented to Mrs. Baum.

- While filming the scene where Dorothy slaps the Cowardly Lion, Judy Garland got the giggles so badly that they had to take a break in shooting. The director, Victor Fleming, took her aside, gave her a quick lecture, and then slapped her. She returned to the set and filmed the scene in one take. 

- The horses in Emerald City palace were colored with Jell-O crystals. The relevant scenes had to be shot quickly, before the horses started to lick it off.

Up Next: Vertigo

# 11 City Lights

1931
Director: Charles Chaplin
Starring: Charles Chaplin

Story of a tramp who falls in love with a blind flower girl.  He does anything to save up enough money for her to have an operation so she can see.  He forms a friendship with a wealthy man, who only remembers Chaplin when he's drunk.  Chaplin fears that once his girl is able to see again, she won't love him because he's poor.  I am a fan of silent movies, but this one was just so so for me.  I am a little surprised it's number 11 on the list!

Trivia: At the beginning of the film, a town official and a woman dedicating the statue can be heard uttering nondescript words by way of a paper reed mouth instrument. The sounds were made by Charles Chaplin and this was the first time that his voice was heard on film.

Up Next: The Wizard of Oz

#12 The Searchers

1956
Director: John Ford
Starring: John Wayne, Jeffrey Hunter, Vera Miles

So far, one of the only westerns I've ever seen that I've liked!  The story follows Wayne's character, Ethan Edwards, who comes homes after fighting in the Civil War to his family.  Before he can settle in, the family's ranch is attacked by Comanches.  Most of the family is killed, but his young niece, Debbie,  survives and is taken by the native americans.  Ethan sets out to save his niece and his traveling companion is Martin, a young man who is part native american and was all but adopted by Ethan's family.  Ethan's obvious dislike towards native americans comes out mostly towards Martin.  But after 5 years they finally find the niece, Debbie, who has become part of the Comanche tribe herself, and Ethan finds himself starting to feel the same towards her.  (Natalie Wood plays little Debbie all grown up.)  Great story, great characters... finally a western I can say I really enjoyed watching.

Trivia: Reportedly this film was seen in a theater in Texas by Buddy Holly and his friends in the summer of 1956. They were so impressed with Ethan's (John Wayne) repeated use of the phrase "That'll be the day" that they used it as the title for their now standard rock song, which they composed soon after.

Up Next: City Lights